Sports

Carlos Mendes to Return to New York Soccer

Mineola native signs to play for the New York Cosmos.

Call it a comeback if you must, but the only thing that matters to many soccer fans on Long Island – and Mineola in particular – is that Carlos Mendes will once again be donning the uniform of a professional soccer team.

While it will not be the uniform of either the MetroStars or Red Bulls, for which the Mineola native had played with for in his first six seasons at the professional level before being traded to Columbus, Mendes told Big Apple Soccer that he was glad to be back in his home area:

“I'm thrilled to join the New York Cosmos and not only play for a club that has seen some of the greatest players in soccer history but also return to my backyard to get the chance to compete in front of family and friends,” he said.

Find out what's happening in Mineolawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Mendes will be sporting the number 4 on his soccer jersey, the same number as New York-raised former Cosmos captain Werner Roth, who joined the club for its first season at Hofstra in 1972.

A graduate of Old Dominion University, Mendes attended the Wheatley School in Old Westbury and played youth soccer for the Mineola Portuguese Soccer Club.

Find out what's happening in Mineolawith free, real-time updates from Patch.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here